Patient information you can trust

As an Information Standard accredited organisation, you can trust the patient information we provide. We regularly review our core patient information leaflets and we would be interested to know what you think

Commissioning for Quality and Innovation (CQUIN)

The Commissioning for Quality and Innovation (CQUINs) payments framework encourages care providers to share and continually improve how care is delivered and to achieve transparency and overall improvement in healthcare.

It enables commissioners to reward excellence, by linking a proportion of English healthcare providers' income to the achievement of local quality improvement goals.

The framework aims to embed quality within commissioner-provider discussions and to create a culture of continuous quality improvement, with stretching goals agreed in contracts on an annual basis.

It makes a proportion of provider income conditional on the achievement of ambitious quality improvement goals and innovations agreed between commissioner and provider, with active clinical engagement.

This year the CQUINs are worth over £3m of income to the Trust and cover areas such as Staff Wellbeing, the Urgent Care Pathway and Physical Health. The Trust achieved 97% of the income available for the 2016/17 Local CQUINs and 100% of the income available for the 2016/17 Specialist Services CQUINS.

How did we do for 2016/17?

The following CQUIN targets were set for Local and National Services in 2016/17, including 6 national and 2 local CQUINs.

Freedom of information

You can ask for information about the business processes, statistics or day-to-day workings of the Trust for example. Before making a formal request check our website to see if it has what you want.

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has produced a model publication scheme which has a guide to the types of corporate information we must make available.

Our publications library shows most of what we publish. This however is not a complete list. If you want information that is not published you can make an individual application.

What information can I obtain?

You can get information about the business processes and day-to-day workings of the Trust.
Before you make a formal request to the Trust please check this website to see if it contains the information you are looking for.

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has produced a model publication scheme which contains a guide to the types of corporate information we are expected to make routinely available as a public authority.

Our Guide to Information page gives you specific information about what we publish, including:

how it will be published

where to find it

and any charges for supplying copies.

This guide is not a comprehensive list of what is available through the FOIA. You may want information that is not already published. You are entitled to ask for that by making an individual application.

Information is not limited to paper documents, it also includes material on our website or answers to questions that interested people may want to ask.

What information is already available?

The majority of corporate information we produce is available through our Guide to Information and other information will be readily available on request.

The COI Publication Scheme and our Guide to Information are jointly a complete guide to the information routinely published by us. It lists the information about our Trust which we make publicly available.

It is important to us that the guide meets your needs and we have designed it to help you find information about the Trust easily. However, if you feel there is information that should be added to the guide that we have missed, please feel free to contact us at the address below.

Can I get access to information about myself or other patients?

The Freedom of Information Act does not change the legal right of service users to the protection of their patient confidentiality.

Maintaining this right of confidentiality is an important commitment for all NHS organisations. All Trusts have appointed a Caldicott Guardian who is responsible for ensuring the protection of patient confidentiality throughout each Trust in accordance with patient legal rights. The Caldicott Guardian for our Trust is our Medical Director.

You may obtain access to your own health records under the Data Protection Act 1998 - Find out more here.

Will I be able to get access to all the Trust's information?

No, there are some exemptions which are listed within the Act. We may not be able to supply all or part of the information requested. For example, information that might affect health and safety within the Trust, such as details of security arrangements, would not be released. If possible we will supply the information requested with the exempt information removed.

Is there a charge for information supplied from the Guide to Information?

Usually there is no charge for documents contained within our Guide to Information. If we have to do significant amounts of work or photocopying, then we have the right to charge a fee (you would be informed of this in advance) or even refuse to undertake the research involved. This would only happen in exceptional circumstances.

How can I get access to information not contained within the Guide to Information?

Make your request in writing or by email. Please include your name and address so that we can contact you.

You do not need to say why you want the information. You must give us enough detail about the information so we can correctly find it.

We will tell you if we require a fee and contact you as soon as possible. When your payment is received, we have 20 working days to send you the information.

Make your request in writing to the information governance manager at the address at the bottom of this page.

Where can I see the Guide to Information?

You can view our Guide to Information here, or you can get a copy from the Inormation Governance Manager by writing to the address at the bottom of this page.

How can I make a complaint or appeal?

Any complaints about our handling of your request or about our Guide to Information should be addressed to the Information Governance Manager.

You can also contact the Government department responsible for ensuring organisations comply with the Freedom of Information Act:

The Information Commissioner

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire SK9 5AF

Helpline tel: 0303 123 1113

Fax: 01625 524 510

Email: mail@ico.gsi.gov.uk

How can I access my health records?

You cannot request your medical records under the Freedom of Information Act they are classed as exempt information. But you can ask to access your records under a different Act of Parliament, the Data Protection Act 1998.

You can do this by writing to, or emailing the Information Governance Manager for an application form and guidance notes to help you in your application.

Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspections

The Care Quality Commission monitors, inspects and regulates services to make sure they meet fundamental standards of quality and safety. They publish what they find to help people choose the care they receive.

From 14 -18 March 2016, a team of inspectors from the CQC visited this trust to carry out a detailed week-long inspection of our services.

The report findings highlighted that the Trust 'had robust governance processes in place from ward to board and the quality of information enabled staff across the trust to know where improvements were needed'.

Overall the CQC report praised caring staff across all services that were inspected saying 'staff were enthusiastic, passionate and demonstrated a clear commitment to their work. Care was delivered by hard-working, caring and compassionate staff'. The inspectors said that they 'saw many examples of where staff really knew the patients and their carers well and were attentive to their individual needs'.

They rated seven of the ten services that were inspected as good and three as requires improvement. In particular the CQC commended the Trust on the positive developments we have made in acute inpatient services, community learning disability services and child adolescent and mental health services.

The services that require improvement are the community based mental health services for adults of working age and for older people and the rehabilitation mental health wards for working age adults.

Our quality strategy

Our highest priority is to improve the quality of the services we provide for our patients.

This includes:

Patient Experience - Striving for the best experience of care for our patients and their families and carers

Patient Safety - Making our care as safe as possible and reducing harm